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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. root — the cause
  5. charge — electricity
  6. capital — a city
  7. rash — a series
  8. bat — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. charge — a price
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wake — a trail
  16. drill — army training
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — the sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. capital — money
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com